"You say Clegg has been favoring Kuva? Hmmm... His primary loyalty is to himself. If we were able to provide him with significant inducement, I am sure that he would fall into line."
He then shrugs.
"All life is ultimately hopeless, doomed to failure and death. I care not if I hasten someone else to their end, especially if it helps to stave-off my own inevitable slide into entropy. What did you have in mind?"
Lothan doesn't react in any way to the information, yet anger rises within him. Once alone with Samaritha, he looks around making sure no one else is around and drops his voice to a whisper, "Hey, I got word that Zincher's been keeping an eye on you. Apparently he's overheard you say things. Obviously I don't care but just be careful of who's around you. Trust no one that isn't me or one of the others. And don't worry, because I'll be keeping an even closer eye on you than I was before. I promise you there's no way I allow him to touch you in any way, shape, or form. No way." He states adamantly.
He then shrugs.
"After all, with all of them out of the way, what little star metal has been found will be more profitable for those who remain..."
"Talk it over with your friends. Let me know."
Mordecai waits until he can get a moment alone with the others (Lothan, Tyrrol, Lecian and Kuva, but not Samaritha), before sharing the opportunity he has been offered, whispering low, to avoid sharing his thoughts with anyone loitering about;
"Akron has informed me that there is a bounty on someone here, and has asked if some among us would be willing to join him in collecting upon it. He was circumspect, and it could be something as trite as a palace coup against his own employer, but I have a nagging suspicion that it may be a more subtle bit of treachery, perhaps even a gambit to fool us into walking freely into the custody of an individual back in Riddleport who bears us no love."
"It is a rare day that does not see me leaping at a chance to advance myself at anothers expense, talons extended, like an eagle upon an unsuspecting dove, and yet something smells foul in this 'opportunity'..."
"Who? One of us? It's not Samaritha, is it? I don't have a problem joining up if it's one of those scumbag crime bosses back in town but I can't help but echo your thoughts, Mordecai. It's highly possible we're being set up. You all know we can trust Zincher about as far as I can throw him."
Tyrrol shrugs.
"I, too, was approached by Akron with the same offer. Regardless of whether it is true or not, he will be a useful temporary ally - if we take out Clegg and all of his men, the meagre supply of Skymetal that has been recovered will be much more profitable for those of us that remain."
He then pats the hilt of his flail.
"If his offer is not true, then he will meet his end at my hands."
The campfire pops and hisses as fresh wood is thrown on.
Kuva adds some more information. "Clegg slips out of camp every night. The other two men on the middle watch are real tight with him."
Lecian chimes in, "I've been watching Clegg. Something is a little off with the man. "
"Lothan, whenever we take action as a result of this opportunity, you may wish to ensure that your fiery-tressed ladyfriend does not misunderstand and take some action that interferes with our own. She seems a bit less jaded than the rest of us, so I'm not sure she would appreciate our mercenary intentions, so it may be best not to fill her in on the specifics quite yet."
He adds with a wry grin, "Since we ourselves don't have said specifics yet, that should be easy enough..."
"Tyrrol, would you quietly inform Akron that we, as a group, are interested in his proposal? Having someone other than myself return the reply will make it clear to him that I have indeed shared the offer with the rest of you, but approaching him as a group, I think, might arouse suspicion."
Tyrrol nods.
"Very well. I agree, having us head over to Akron en mass would probably raise a few eyebrows..."
Assuming that the meeting is over, Tyrrol spends a bit of time over near the cooking fire, before heading-off to look for Akron...
Akron continually moves in and out of the crowded areas of camp. It's easy enough to catch him alone on the outskirts of camp.
Tyrrol nods to Akron.
"We are all in agreement; what needs to be done, will be done, and any who get in our way will be crushed."
AKron rubs his hands together. "Good. When do we make our move?"
Tyrrol shrugs.
"Whenever you want to."
"Very well, I will let the others know."
Tyrrol meanders his way back to the rest of the party.
"Akron is ready to make a move whenever we are. He does, however, recommend that we wait for a chance to catch the man alone, so that we can present the rest of the camp with a 'done deal'..."
The camp starts to settle in for the night.
Middle watch. You slip out of the tent, making an excuse about going to the bathroom. You return the wave of Kuva and the two regular middle watch sentries, before before fading into the shadows in the corner of the compound with the privy and waiting.
Presently Clegg emerges from his tent. He makes for the eastern gate and slips out of camp.
Off to bed you all go then.
Stealth:
Clegg moves quickly along the path, going west north west. He looks back frequently as he moves and he occasionally stops dead.
You can here the breakers along the southern cliffs. This must be the path from the Cyphermages lighthouse to the tower with the ghost.
After some time on the trail, the path bends around a large rock outcropping and Zincher disappears from sight.
Stealth:
Perception:
Pereption
Clegg steps out of the cleft, heavy pick raised to strike.
"You shouldn't have followed me."
Initiative:
Lothan sits up on his cot and immediately looks around. Not seeing Lecian anywhere, he gets up and wakes Mordecai. "Hey Mordecai. Wake up. Lecian's not here. And I don't think it's because he's on watch. I dunno, I gotta bad feelin' something's gone wrong."
Lecian backs ups and readies an action to fire a scorching ray. "Why? What is it you're hiding out here?"
Mordecai opens one eye, as if assessing the situation before risking the other, and stifles a sudden inhalation as he stirs fully awake.
"Let us see if he requires aid. Or avenging..." he says, his voice low, as he rises quietly, grabbing for his morningstar and shield (his holy symbol and chain shirt, as always, already worn).
"You got it. Hey, you think we ought to wake Tyrrol? He probably wouldn't care one way or the other honestly." He shrugs. "Forget it, I'll just ask him." He moves over to where Tyrrol is and nudges him, "Hey Tyrrol! You 'wake?! Lecian's not here and I'm thinkin' he might be in some trouble. You wanna check it out with us or do you just wanna sleep, buddy?"
Tyrrol jerks awake, his hand going unconsciously to the haft of his flail, and half-raising it before he realises that it is Lothan speaking.
When Lothan finishes, he shrugs.
"Personally, I think Lecian's nocturnal ramblings are his own business, and I consider it unlikely that he was attacked in the camp - all of the creatures that we have encountered thus far have been far from subtle, and if the other people here had decided to kill us, I dare say they would have come after the rest of us, as well. Still..."
Tyrrol pauses, thoughtfully.
"Give me a couple of minutes to put my armor on, and I will assist you in trying to find him - in fact, I would be perfectly willing to crush a few skulls to 'persuade' people to be more forthcoming with information..."
Another step puts his face in a beam of moonlight. His expression twists before he says, "Nothing. There's nothing out here to hide."
He lunges forward.
Attack:
Damage:
... damage
crit confirm ... damage
It drives into your chest and you drop to the ground.
"You $&#*(Q&5. I didn't want to do that. I had to do that."
Clegg kicks you in the ribs with his heavy boots ...
then spins on his heel and strides on down the path.
A quick check of the privy confirms that he's not there. A wider check shows he's not in the camp at all.
Responding to Kuva, "I'm not sure, little buddy, but I think Lecian could be in trouble. We're gonna find out. Hopefully he just stepped out for whatever reason."
Lothan sighs in frustration. "Alright fellas, grab your gear if you haven't already, it's game time." Lothan then begins the search for Lecian.
At the camp
Mordecai does what he can to assist Lothan.
"Maybe he did just wander off, and get eaten by something..."
Nonetheless, he aids in the search...
Kuva gets a moment alone with you all away from the other two sentries. "CLegg slipped out of camp tonight. He usually uses the east gate. Do you think Lecian tailed him?"
Given a place to start Lothan picks up the trail of two men walking mostly single file along the cliff path running east. The traces are fairly clear to the ranger's practiced eye.
"No way, Lecian isn't that stupid to wander off so far as to where there's no one to help. He wouldn't last no time out there by himself. I mean, seriously Tyrrol, it's Lecian we're talking about here."
"I'm not sure, Kuva. Doesn't make a lot of sense for Lecian to be following anyone, truth be told. Nevertheless, we're gonna find out one way or another."
"Hey fellas, looky what we got here. Looks like they went this way. And it's possible Lecian could be following Clegg 'cause the tracks are mostly single file. But as I said, that just doesn't make any sense. Regardless, let's move." Lothan then follows his only lead.